Game started last night again like shadow boxing with Meath being the more direct team, For me I would have been out to kill the hope in Meath as letting a team get the upper hand can be a hard nut to crack (almost caught out last year against Westmeath) We were again running down the channels and the pass backs, sideways and every other way accept forward. I counted 4 occassions Forker made the corner run to just kick it back to the safe zone, at one point shouting at Burns to get out of his channel. At this point we were feeding on scraps and relying on free kicks and players trying to break lines and receiving huge hits.It was like Groundhog day for sure.
Then we intorduced a little bit of impetus and began to use the direct pace that we have, it brought the likes of Connaty, Mc Conville and others into the game in places were they are dangerous. Suddenly the likes of Grugan, who lacks pace was able to find a little bit of space to allow him to control a few passes which is his strength. Campbell for me was always busy and remained so throughout the game albeit not adding his usual 2 or 3 scores. Connaty was everywhere and was suddenly a player oozing confidence and playing with the chest out. this filtered throughout the whole team and suddenly there was an air of optimism as the team went in at HT with a handy lead.
The team returned after the break and essentially killed the game off with the goal from Mackin which was again just something different from a big high ball that was broken and dispatched. We continued to go direct through the middle and the power and pace was simply too much for a very average meath team. The palyers introduced also made a great contribution and it was great to see the players that had been replaced getting clapped coming off (Something which hadn't been happening recently) All in all it was a job done and fair play to the lads.
Here comes the but..... Meath weren't great and didn't compact the middle like Louth did which allowed Armagh the space to do what they done. However this isn't Armaghs fault, they will obviously need to play differently against better teams but at least we broke the shackles and seemed to play the game against the team we were facing and didn't just have the one template.
All in all the crowd was happy, the kids were sprinting onto the pitch at the end and I am sure the players got a buzz from that, after all it must be hard on them reading and feeling the criticism that has been thrown their way. Hopefully this lifts them and they can push on now and keep the standard. Kildare continued their demise so Armagh should be buzzing going into the next game.
Really good analysis overall.
Regarding Forker running to the corners and recycling back, that was very noticeable early on. Burns and McGrane were more than capable of carrying the ball forward on their own and breaking tackles but they're seemed a reluctance to do so based on 'the system'.
When they did, McGrane was unlucky not to get a pass laid off by Cian McConville and Burns did get a score from carrying on a hard driving run himself.
Our kickout strategy on the opening quarter was very hard to watch. Monotonous, lacking penetration and stagnant. Even though Meath went short with some of theirs, there was still forward progression and on one occassion they kicked a score off the back of 3 kicks from Keeper to FF Line.
Meath were poor overall but started well. When we pressed their kick out and it wasn't working at all, we were struggling but we copped that it wasn't working and changed it up. Once we did that it was a no contest.
A few very good performances. Conaty and Turbitt were handy with the later proving good credentials from the dead ball. Conor O'Neill, Greg McCabe and Paddy Burns were the stand out defenders.
I thought Cian McConville was decent overall but maybe has a tendency to be indecisive at times. Trying hard to impress and as a result, making the wrong decisions then, but that'll come with more game time.
Oisin O'Neill and Jarly Óg put in very decent shifts when introduced. Jarly Óg a man of many talents, featuring prominently in our clubs charity Oskars Night afterwards as part of The Peaky Blinders
Soupy was poor at times in possession but that being said covers some amount of ground and puts in a lot of donkey work that goes unnoticed.
I thought Grugan looked a small bit leggy but he was involved in a lot of link up play too.
Aidan started poorly and as I mentioned above seemed reluctant to deviate from 'the system' but grew in to the game and had a great second half.
I felt Blaine's Kickouts were a little indecisive and nearly got caught out because of it a few times, on one occassion they got a score out of it but overall he hadn't much to do.
Hard to know what to take from the game as a whole but it's another 70 minutes under the belt for some lads and there's a serious bench building now with The Pats lads back. Up The Orchard!